In its rivalry with the US, China sees an advantage: the long game

Chinese leader Xi Jinping sits alongside other members of the Politburo Standing Committee during fourth plenum on October 23. AP Beijing —

Chinese leaders have just concluded a closed-door conclave focused on drawing up the country’s next five-year economic blueprint – a sweeping plan covering everything from accelerating tech innovation to streamlining how China’s farms grow food.

Stakes are high for formulating that strategy, with Chinese officials under pressure to reduce reliance on imported high-tech and address economic weaknesses as the country faces a deepening rivalry with the US.

But drawing up the plan – especially at a moment when Washington remains immobilized by a government shutdown over spending for the current fiscal year – also gives leader Xi Jinping an op